Foods to avoid when you have flu/cold – Beauty and Health – Pulselive.co.ke

We know that grabbing a hot cup of ginger tea or some dawa makes you feel better when you have a flu.

But then, there are also foods you should stay away from when you have a cold for one simple reason; they worsen your cold.

That said, let’s look at some of these foods:

1. Dairy products

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Woman drinking milk (Livestrong)

Although dairy is a good source of protein and calcium, you will want to avoid dairy products if you have a cold. Milk thickens the mucous making it harder to flush out. You will thus have to deal with a blocked nasal cavity.

ALSO READ: 7 surprising health benefits of camel milk

2. Coffee

It’s tempting to pass by the coffee shop when you have a cold to at least keep warm. But coffee is a diuretic and you need to stay hydrated when you have a cold. Instead of coffee, opt for something like a hot cup of ginger tea.

3. Fatty foods

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Pizza (foodnetwork)

Fries, burgers, pizza and other fatty foods lead to inflammation. They are also harder to digest which may upset your stomach. At least wit until you recover since eating them will slow down the healing process.

4. Sugar

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Sugar causes inflammation (Food Manufacture)

It sounds like no brainer but you seriously should avoid sugary foods when you have flu. Stay away from sweets, chocolates, cakes and juices. Sugar causes inflammation thus weakening the white blood cells that fight against infections. The recovery process is likely to be slower if you pack on sweet foods.

5. Alcohol

Just like sugar, alcohol leads to inflammation thus weakening the body’s immunity. Alcohol also dehydrates your body making it harder for the nasal cavities to flush out the virus because they are dry.